JEWISH
SEASONAL DAYS OF CELEBRATION AND HOLY DAYS

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Origins:

Conservative Jews and Christians generally agree that the main seasonal days
of celebration that are mentioned in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) were
established by God and recorded by Moses. Religious liberals and many historians
believe that the ancient Israelites took the three ancient harvest festivals of
the Pagan Canaanites (Creation, Revelation and Redemption) and reworked them
into the Jewish festivals of Tabernacles, Shavout and Passover. 1

In modern times, Jews refer to the weekly Sabbath as the Shabbat; other
holy days are now called festivals, feasts, holy days or holidays.

High Holy Days: 3

Year

Rosh Hashanah*

Yom Kippur

5757 AM

96-SEP-23

96-OCT-02

5758 AM

97-OCT-02

97-0CT-11

5759

98-SEP-21

98-SEP-30

5760

99-SEP-11

99-SEP-20

5761

00-SEP-30

00-OCT-09

5762

01-SEP-18

01-SEP-27

5763

02-SEP-07

02-SEP-16

5764

03-SEP-27

03-OCT-06

5765

04-SEP-15

04-SEP-24

5766

05-OCT-03

05-OCT-12

5767

06-SEP-22

06-OCT-01

5768

07-SEP-12

07-SEP-21

5769

08-SEP-29 4

08-OCT-12 5

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Other holy days:

Year

Sukkot*

Hanukkah*

Purim

Pesach*

Shavout*

5757 AM

96-OCT-7

96-DEC-06

97-MAR-23

97-APR-22

97-JUN-11

5758

97-OCT-16

97-DEC-24

98-MAR-12

98-APR-11

98-MAY-31

5759

98-OCT-05

98-DEC-14

99-MAR-02

99-APR-01

99-MAY-21

5760

99-SEP-25

99-DEC-04

00-MAR-21

00-APR-20

00-JUN-09

5761

00-OCT-14

00-DEC-22

01-MAR-09

01-APR-09

01-MAY-28

5762

01-OCT-02

01-DEC-10

02-FEB-26

02-MAR-28

02-MAY-17

5763

02-SEP-21

02-NOV-30

03-MAR-28

03-APR-17

03-JUN-06

5764

03-OCT-11

03-DEC-20

04-MAR-07

04-APR-06

04-MAY-26

5765

04-SEP-30

04-DEC-08

05-MAR-25

05-APR-24

05-JUN-13

5766

05-OCT-18

05-DEC-26

06-MAR-14

06-APR-13

06-JUN-02

5767

06-OCT-07

06-DEC-16

07-MAR-04

07-APR-03

07-MAY-23

5768

07-OCT-04

07-DEC-05

08-MAR-21

08-APR-20

08-JUN-09

5769 AM

08-OCT-14

08-DEC-22

* First day

Description of the seven holy days:

Date/Month

Name

Alternative name and meaning

1st of Tishri

Rosh Hashanah; "Head of the Year"

The Jewish New Year, and the anniversary of
the completion of creation.

10th of Tishri

Yom Kippur; "Day of Atonement"

A day of fasting and praying which
occurs 10 days after the first day of Rosh Hashanah. The holiest day in the
year.

15th of Tishri

Sukkot; "Season of our rejoicing; Feast of
Tabernacles"

The Feast of Booths
is an 8 day harvest festival; a time of thanksgiving. This was considered the
most important Jewish festival in 1st cent. CE

25th of Kislev

Hanukkah, Chanukah; "Feast of Dedication"

The Feast
of Lights is an 8 day Feast of Dedication. It recalls the war fought by
the Maccabees in the cause of religious freedom.

14th of Adar

Purim; "Feast of Lots"

The Feast of Lots
recalls the defeat by Queen Esther of the plan to slaughter all of the Persian Jews, circa
400 BCE.

15th Nissan

Pesach; "Passover"

The 8 day festival recalls the
exodus of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt circa 1300 BCE. A holiday
meal, the Seder, is held at home.

6th of Sivan; 50 days after Pesach

Shavouth; "Festival of Weeks"

Pentacost (a.k.a. Feast of Weeks)
recalls God's revelation of the Torah to the Jewish people.